interjects a welcome dose of bruised-and-bloodied malice to the sometimes too-cartoony Marvel universe. More promising still, Daredevil is a confident show with a solid foundation on which it can build.

So, let's add it up. The performances are solid and understated... The fights are always unflinching, the cinematography occasionally striking. We're only one episode in, but already Daredevil has broken away from the superhero herd.